Infant incubator



Nov. 7, 1933. J. H. HESS INFANT INCUBATOR Filed Sept. 50, 1952 PatentedNov. 7 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE INFANT INCUBATOR Julius H. Hess,Chicago, Ill.

- Application September 30, 1932 Serial No. 635,472

2 Claims. (Cl. 128-4) rately controlled. The bed is intended primarilyfor the treatment of infants that are premature, undernourished, oraffected with pneumonia or other ailments.

It is an object of the invention toprovide, in connection with asuitable bed, a cover having conditioning openings through which tocirculate oxygen and air, and other service and observation doorsdisposed to best advantage in relation both to the conditioning openingsand to the treated patient; and a further object is the provision of acontainer for ice or other refrigerant insertible within the chamber foraffecting the temperature and himidity therein.

As an exemplification of my invention reference is made to theaccompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of thepresent incubator together with a partial showing of an oxygen tankconnected thereto;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the incubator;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view in cross section of the ice container;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view of the air inlet valve. the sectionbeing taken on line 4 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail view in section of the oxygen controlvalve, the section being taken on line 5 of Fig. 2.

In the disclosed construction, an incubator A of generally ellipticalfonn is supported upon a stand or pedestal B which, if desired, may beprovided with rollers (not shown) to facilitate mobility. The incubatorconstitutes a bed having surrounding inner and outer walls 10 and 11',respectively, provided therebetween a space 12 for water, either forheating or cooling purposes. with such ajacketed construction Iassociate a water gauge 13 having a drain. cock 14 and an inlet cock 15,the latter being provided with a suitable connection with a tube 16which, if desired, may be connected to a hydrant for circulating wateraround the bed in the event that a reduced temperature is desired.

Removably fitted within the incubator is a basket 17 in which the infantmay be placed. The basket is desirably slightly shorter in length thanthe interior of the bed to allow space at either end for the insertionof an ice container 18 shaped in general conformity with the proximatewalls of the bed. A cover 19 may be placed over the container whereinice will serve to cool the temperature within the bed.

A substantially flat elliptical cover C of sheet metal 20 from whichdepends a skirt 21 is adapted to fit removably over the top of the bed.In the A cover are two relatively large openings in line with its majoraxis and to opposite sides of its minor axis, these openings beingprovided with hinged doors 22 and 23. The former of these doors which ispositioned about opposite the head of an infant lying within the bed isequipped with a glass window for observation. The other door, slightlylarger than the first, is located conveniently for service purposes.

The cover is provided also with other smaller openings 24 having.adjustable pivoted lids 25. Through these openings which desirably arelocated at spaced points adjacent opposite sides of the two doors aninstrument may be inserted for testing the oxygen content within thebed; when not so used, they serve as vents depending upon the extent towhich these lids are opened.

A further opening 26 is also provided in the cover at its end oppositethe head door 22; over the opening is a rotatable disk 27 havingopenings 28 of varying sizes adapted successively to register with thecover opening whereby to provide a vent of desired area. The disk whichis pivoted about a bolt 29 may be pressed by a spring 30 against a bossupstanding from the cover so as to obviate any loose fitting thereupon.A thermometer,31 attached to the cover registers the temperature withinthe incubator.

I propose to supply oxygen to the incubator in predetermined quantities,depending upon the age, size or condition of the infant under treatment.For this purpose, I utilize an oxygen tank D to which is attached apressure regulator 35 for controlling the pressure of the oxygen fromthe tank to a tube 36 which leads to a mixing valve shown generally at37. From this valve is extended a flexible delivery tube 38 whichterminates within the bed at a point near the head of the containedinfant. v

The mixing valvemay comprise a body 39 having a central bore 40 in whichis located a jet 41 for the supply of oxygen. A radial opening 42extends outwardly from the bore adjacent the jet. Surrounding thebody'is a rotatable collar 43 having a plurality of openings 44 whichvary in size, these several openings being located in the sametransverse plane with the opening 42. The collar may accordingly berotated soas to bring a selected opening 44 into register with theopening 42, thus establishing a desired mixno ture of air and oxygen. Asshown, the valve is mounted upon posts 45 upstanding from the cover.

It has been found by experience that the present incubator is adaptedfor the treatment of babies which are premature to those of one year orolder. This is due in part to the provision of the mixing valve andadjustable vents which afford excellent control over the conditionswithin the incubator. By placing coarse salt in the ice container, thetemperature is reduced to a lower point than otherwise, but any suchexpedient, or indeed any use of the ice container at all, is entirelyoptional.

By the control means provided, and their relation to each other and tothe incubator as a whole, it is possible to maintain a desiredtemperature and humidity within the bed. In particular, it is desirableto utilize a flexible tube through which oxygen and air is delivered ata point close to the head of the patient, the exact position of thistube being adjustable at will. The venting of air partially vitiated isaccomplished at the end of the bed opposite the oxygen intake.

I claim:

1. In an infant incubator comprising a substantially elliptical open topchamber forming a bed, a cover having a skirt adapted to fit over theopen top of the chamber forming a closure for the bed, there beingopenings in the cover in line with the major axis of the bed, onewindowed for observation at a point about opposite the head of the bed,a regulable mixing valve, having connection with a source of oxygen,carried by the cover, a flexible delivery tube extending from the mixingvalve through the cover to a point which is normally at the head of thebed, and a regulable vent carried by the cover at a point remote fromthe head of the bed.

2. In an infant incubator comprising a chamber of generally ellipticalshape forming a bed open at the top, a cover adapted to be positionedover the open top of the chamber to provide a closure therefor,observation and service doors carrier by the cover in line with itsmajor axis each adapted when open to afford access to the interior ofthe chamber, means providing adjustable vent openings through the coveron opposite sides of the major and minor axes thereof, a mixing valve,having connection with an oxygen source, carried by the cover betweenthe doors thereof, the valve including a rotatable collar formed withgraduated openings adapted successively to be moved into register with aport which extends radially inwardly from the collar to admit air intocombination with oxygen received from the supply source, and a flexibledelivery tube extending through the cover from the mixing valve to apoint which is normally adjacent the head of the bed.

' JULIUS H. HESS.

